The Bull Rider's Collection by Lynn Cahoon Page A

all of the years Lizzie had known him — seemed on the surface to be about Jesse, the truth was that James was every bit the rodeo gypsy that his brother was. He was a cowboy, and cowboys never stayed in one place for long.
    Sobered by realization, this time when she pushed, she broke free of James’s hold and headed for the stairs. “I’ll be ready to go in ten minutes,” she said.
    “Lizzie?” James asked.
    Not trusting her voice to hide the rising lump of emotion, she sprinted up the stairs into her bedroom. Why had she allowed James into her heart a second time? Maybe because he was never really out of it , the voice inside her said. She shut it down. James was here for JR. He wanted her, yes, the same way he’d wanted her in high school. But they were adults now, with responsibilities. A child. She would have to figure out a way to be around James without letting her emotions running wild.
    His words came back to her. He needed to talk to Jesse. That was true, as far as it went, she knew that. Still, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Why did every action or decision have to involve Jesse?
    Because this is new to James and Jesse’s family, Jesse’s blood. And because keeping watch over Jesse has been James’s life since forever .
    The problem was, JR was James’s blood, too. And as his mother, JR’s needs would trump Jesse’s every single damn day of the week and three times on Sunday. If James couldn’t see his way clear to choose his son over his brother … .
    Well then no matter how much Lizzie wanted to jump James’s bones and be jumped in return she would just have to remember that she was a grownup. JR was her child, and James was the bad influence she’d have to keep herself and her son away from.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    James glanced back at the banged up import following him down the mountain. Every time Jesse’s name came up, Lizzie’s defenses went up. He understood that to a point. Jesse had been the reason they left. And one of the reasons he’d broken up with her that May evening. She wanted him to follow her to Portland. Attend school with her or find a job, anything to keep the two of them together.
    But he’d chosen to go with Jesse. Jesse needed him. Lizzie should have understood that. It wouldn’t have been forever. Instead, she’d made him choose. And it had been forever. What James had thought would be a summer on the rodeo circuit had turned into five years of managing his brother’s increasingly successful career.
    While Lizzie came home to raise his son, alone.
    Yeah, she had a right to be mad.
    This time would be different. This time he chose her — and JR — if she’d let him. James figured he had one shot at this. Especially with Cash hanging around, looking for a pre-built family. James’s family.
    “Do I have a gramma?”
    The voice from the backseat surprised James. He adjusted the mirror and met JR’s eyes. The boy sat strapped into a booster seat. James hadn’t even known such a thing existed before Lizzie dumped it into the truck. Apparently kids couldn’t sit in the front. Something to do with the air bags being too strong. James had a lot to learn. He and Jesse used to ride in the bed of their father’s F-150 no seat belts, no seats.
    “Your grandma died, buddy.” James glanced up in the mirror, wondering what had brought on this conversation.
    “Not Grammy. I know Grammy died. I remember her hugs and she smelled like Mom’s cookies.” JR leaned forward. “I want to know about your mom. Where is she?”
    James shook his head. No way could he tell JR that his and Jesse’s mother had dumped them the night she split from his dad. About her promises to come back for them that never came true.
    Two years ago James hired a private investigator to find her. He didn’t know what he expected, but the trail dead-ended in Vegas two years after she left. James often wondered how good an investigator the man was, or if it really was possible for